


White Lie

by KazueEmiko



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Healing, Implied Sexual Content, Worry, i swear I always make this implication everywhere AGH, worried rem lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 00:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21065582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: After a week-long mission, Rem and the others await for their comrades' return. Their returns were drastic and horrid, but it appears that Deuce is in near-pristine condition. Unfortunately, Rem finds out that there's a bit more to her girlfriend's appearance...





	White Lie

**Author's Note:**

> Aye, another Final Fantasy Type-0 OS. I love this series so much, I cry mentally every single day. This is for Rin, who got me into this rare ship! (They're so precious, I love them so much.) Hope you like it! Also, for my other readers, hope you enjoy this also! :) I think it's a nice break from writing all of those Edeleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

War was always something she hadn’t enjoyed. It was a necessity, but the collateral damage crushed her spirit. Guns blazed over the flames, ice and lightning burst overhead, wyverns and machines unleashed unimaginable strength, shrieks and blood coated the land. Students sprawled for miles on end, their body parts churned through a nightmarish wheel of fate. Innocent civilians were executed by stray bullets and used as blackmails. War crimes are at an all-time high after the broken peace treaty, even more so after the Fabula Pact.

Rem Tokimiya thumbed the knowing tag over her neck. Iron lingered on her taste buds, the metallic sensation disrupting her olfactory. She chewed the bottom of her lip. They were living in Hell, and there was nothing they could do about it.

“Ah— They’ve returned.”

She snapped her head to the front entranceway after Eight’s announcement. The two, along with Machina, watched the double door creak open. Slow as the process may be, out flowed some older cadets, stained and dirtied with grime and blood. Rem sharply inhaled. Their weary features blackened the sparkles that had once been contagious. One of the students had lost a limb, his friends supporting his hobbling. Another student had lost an eye, her stares hollow, fingers occasionally touching the crimson patch. Eight and Machina exchanged worrisome looks.

“I’m… I’m sure they’re okay,” Eight weakly punched his palm, albeit his tonality wavered. “We’re Class Zero.”

Ace, Deuce, Nine, and Queen were tasked with an important mission. Ordinarily, all 14 members of Class Zero would participate in the fight. They were always together… even Rem and Machina were included. This time, Central Command ordered the squad of four to participate in a special operative. An imperial officer had defected from the Milites Empire. They, accompanied by a pack of cadets from other classes, were to travel to the snow-covered Mt. Acrid in West Nesher and take the officer into custody.

_‘ Deuce never liked the cold… ‘_

Compared to the hardy Ace, Nine, and Queen, Deuce was the weakest of them all. Consistent exercises in the training arena did not do much to alleviate the pitiful stats. If she had frozen to death... Rem’s thumb hastens, her hues pointed at the pouring soldiers.

“Is there a reason as to why they weren’t healed?” Machina grumbled. "What happened out there?"

One of the better-looking cadets stopped in place. He turned to Machina. “We ran out of potions and were low on magic.” He shook his head, his shoulders slumped. “I thought we were prepared, but we were overwhelmed.”

“We should count our lucky stars, chap,” his ally brushed his shoulder. Walking ahead, the student murmured, “We made it out alive.”

Machina, Eight, and Rem felt their blood freeze. Sunny as the rays may be for this afternoon, they shivered, their bones rattling. These grave words were only soothed by the fact they remembered Ace, Deuce, Nine, and Queen. They’re not dead, but…

“Ace—!”

Machina rushed forward, his vermillion cape audibly flapping from behind. He was the first to approach their classmates.

Nine hand his arm slung over Ace’s shoulder; the dried blood smeared from his head. The scarred lancer grimaced.

“Oi, ya lover is here, Acey.”

The disheveled Ace felt steam blow from the top of his head. If Nine were not injured, the blonde would have walloped the dragoon into submission! Instead, he ignored his friend’s lousy remark, a faltered smile formed.

“Machina… I’ve returned.”

Nine scrunched his nose to exaggerate distaste as their exchanged continued. He was stuck in the middle like a third wheel, an angry throb pulsating from the corner of his head. Out of all his returns, this had to be the worst one of them all. (Even the time Queen punched him in the guts after a mission failure was better in comparison.) Nine grumbled under his breath, his eyes shifty between the two boys. Machina fawns over Ace like a doting mother… He’s more of a mother than Mother Arecia herself.

“Ugh, if only I hadn’t saved yer ass, I would’ve been fine and dandy like you.”

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Nine.”

“Urk… I think I feel sick…”

“From your injuries?”

“No, from YOU TWO.”

It was almost as if their troubling times with the operation had not existed, the three babbling and squabbling like little children. Other cadets and officers expressed disdain from nearby. But none dare speak up. They know the harsh truth. These are children—unfortunate children conditioned for war.

Eight and Rem, on the other hand, heeded far more attention to the other females, the petite boy extending his hands out.

“Easy there…” he whispered, allowing Deuce to transfer the weak girl over. Queen, who had been struggling to stay conscious, finally crumpled upon taking a step into the academy’s ground. Had it not been for the flutist and Rem’s reflexes, the sword user would have fallen to the floor. Eight narrowed his eyes from the stickiness. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

Deuce, who appears to be the healthiest of the bunch, lowered her head.

“I tried to heal her…” Tears prickled, the flutist’s nails digging into her palms. “She protected me. If… If I had only been faster—!”

“Deuce,” Eight’s eyes softened. “It’s not your fault. I’m sure Mother can heal her.”

He glanced over to Ace, Machina, and Nine. Then, he looked at Rem and Deuce.

“I’m going to find Mother. I’ll see you guys later.”

He promptly disappeared from the scene. The other boys quelled their conversation, but only temporarily. Nine eventually barked that Machina and Ace take him to the infirmary. That left the two girls stranded by the entranceway.

“Deuce…”

The calling of her name prompted Deuce to close their distance. Deuce grabbed ahold of Rem’s hands; those hands were enveloped with a warmth that starkly contrasted to the winter storm from her week-long mission. Her thumbs smoothed the cadet’s hand and smiled.

“I’m back, Rem.”

“Deuce!”

“#$%@&*!” An incoherent outcry startled the wits out of nearby officers from the sudden lunge. Rem, known for her passiveness, acted out of character. She launched herself towards the bard without a moment of hesitation. Deuce stiffened, her eyes wide, and squirmed in her crushing embrace. “R-Rem— Ow! That hurts!”

That was odd. Rem immediately pulled away. Deuce’s respiration had quickened, sweat poured forth from her pores, the metallic smell beginning to waft into her nostrils, and her smile now strained. Rem frowned.

“Deuce! Are you hurt?”

A hesitant shake of her head. “No.”

Now that was odd. Deuce would normally speak up about her injuries. She was the frailest member in the class— or even the entire peristylium! Injuries that could be shaken off by many would render the girl handicapped. Students and commanders that participate with her in battle know all too well to keep her safe from harm’s way. (A recent example being Queen’s protection.) Rem knew that too, hence her majestic capabilities to shield her. All these protections led to Deuce holding the best record for staying alive in any given battle… and for holding the least number of scars on her figure.

The familiar iron tickled Rem’s nose, only it was getting stronger. She began a thorough examination of the flutist’s body. Not a speck of blood seen on the girl, save for the occasional dirt and torn fabrics. Astonishing when consideration is taken to her sense of smell. It had to come from somewhere. Rem pat the girl’s arms. No reaction. She slid her hands onto Deuce’s shoulders and provided another pat. No reaction yet again.

Meanwhile, the young girl tried to inch away from Rem…

“Don’t move.”

Deuce felt a chill run down her spine, her legs halted in place. She gulped. Rem was intent on keeping her still during the examination. Not that it took long anyway. The youngster jabbed her index upon Deuce’s modest chest, causing the musician to wince. Rem retracted her finger. One look was all it took, traces of magma-red staining the pigments. Beads of sweat flew out of Deuce’s head at the sight of her comrade’s intensity. A forced giggle erupted from her throat as she weakly flailed her hands.

“Y-You know, I have to go see Mother—”

“Deuce.”

“YES?!”

Rem huffed. She shook her head, reached out to Deuce, and proceeded to drag her away from the area, despite her weak objections.

“Rem, can I see Mother, please?”

“…”

“I-It’s kind of urgent…”

“…”

“R-Rem?”

“…”

Silence was the only response she could give. Dread shadowed over Number Two as she shifted her gaze elsewhere. It was rare for Rem to act this way. The last time she acted this way was when they got into an argument over her illness.

Deuce vividly recalled their raised voices. Tonality that was never heard before to the public were exposed like an open book, their stubbornness bashing against each other. Deuce had shaken her head more times than she could count with two hands. Rem was as stiff as cardboard with hands on her hips. The fight took about a week to recover from and the members from Class Zero had no idea how to bring them back together. (It was thanks to Kurasame and, surprisingly, Sice that encouraged them to mend their relationship.)

Could this be another heated session? Deuce felt a shade of red discolor her cheeks, albeit for a different reason.

They eventually reached Rem’s dormitory. The door cracked open, she single-handedly motioned for the brunette. Deuce timidly scuttled inside before Rem clicked it closed. She seated herself on the mattress after a silent urge from the female.

“Clothes.”

Deuce really didn’t want to do this… but she adhered to Rem. Who was she if she were to ignore her girlfriend’s request?

She unbuttoned and unclicked her uniform. Bit by bit, she stripped her upper wear until she was left with nothing but her bra. Rem sharply inhaled, all forms of frustration eroded.

“Oh, Deuce…”

Scratch marks, likely from a machine, tore through the chest’s epidermis. Though it appears as though someone had cast a healing spell or used potions on the infliction, the gash had not fully sealed, blood oozing from two of the three cuts. Amongst the other scars that lightly riddled the brunette’s porcelain skin, this one was the worst of them all. Perhaps it was a blessing from a divine spirit that prevented the injury from sinking its lacerations deeper than the surface. Had it touched her heart…

Rem shooed the thought away. She immediately cleaned the bloodied mess.

"How in Orience did you hide this wound?"

"..."

"Deuce?"

"I... got a spare uniform. It was cold, so I carried extra in case I got wet." 

"I see." 

Soon, Rem hovered her palms over the cadet’s chest, soft green light emitted. Deuce let out a shaky exhale. The throbbing that once plagued her cavity had now dissipated. (Granted, they were bearable this morning, but the freezing temperature had dulled the pain receptors until her return.) She dryly swallowed and watched her girlfriend.

“Why did you hide this from me?”

“…I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Didn’t you just scold me about this?” Rem sighed. “You should practice what you preach.”

Deuce gently bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes downcast. “You’re right. I… I’ve never sustained any injuries like this… and I thought I could go to Mother to heal me.”

“Huh, Mother…”

Rem removed her hands. (Thanks to her high capability of magic, spending Cure on her fellow ally hardly wasted her breath, especially if it’s for her dear Deuce.) Now that the gash left nothing more than faint lumps, the brown-haired began to trace the scars. Deuce nearly let out a squeak as the cadet allowed her mind to wander.

_‘ Deuce… aside from Machina, everyone in Class Zero had always spoken about Mother Arecia. ‘_

Adopting children was not rare in Orience. Orphans from war and brutality were common. The lucky bunches would be picked up from the streets and served in manors for the riches and most elite. The unlucky bunches would be picked up from the streets and served as slaves or prisoners for the ruthless and heartless. However, it was sincerely an oddity to have someone pick up 12 children almost all at once.

“I’m sorry, Rem… for lying to you. I’ll tell you the truth next time.”

“That’s okay. I forgive you.”

Rem felt her heart clench. She had to forgive Deuce. There was no other way to teach Deuce what was right and what was wrong.

She and Machina knew more than them. Even the oldest member, Seven, possess very little knowledge about social and general knowledge about the world. When they were asked about the war, all 12 members claim to enjoy fighting. They've trained all their lives, never rewarded for their deeds, stuck out like a sore thumb from the mass, yet they stood proudly without shame. The members were conditioned, and that too applied to Deuce.

When they privately spent time together, the child would always point out the most obvious and ask questions about it.

"How are flowers grown?" 

"Why is the sky blue?" 

"When is the right time to tell someone you like them?" 

"Rem, what is this feeling in my heart every time I see you?" 

"My heart aches when I see you with Machina... Do you know why?" 

"Rem, what does ' love ' really mean?" 

There was so much for her to learn… especially in the form of love. Had it not been for the valiant efforts of Rem’s confession, both Deuce and Rem would have been left with an awkward two-sided love that would go unnoticed by the two crushers. (Porn books by Jack aren’t exactly helpful.) If Rem didn't confess... what would have happened to the two of them? 

“Rem? Can I put my clothes back on?”

She snapped back to reality. Deuce, whose cheeks were on fire, was trembling under her ghostly touches.

_‘ Oh. She’s half-naked. ‘_

Rem pulled back her hand once again, the temperature from her face rising in conjunction. However, what retracts was replaced with something far more pleasant. She leaned in to plant a brief kiss on the flutist’s lips. Butterflies fluttered inside of their stomachs, the faint tingles sparking from the sensitive pink flesh once they parted.

“Promise me you won’t do that ever again,” she breathed, her eyes staring deep into the other's. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind Deuce’s red ear. Then, Rem pulled her into an embrace, her head buried into her shoulder. She deeply inhaled the fresh, rainy scent that always accompanied the bard. “Promise me that you will come to me first for healing.”

A shudder. Deuce slowly brought her arms around her girlfriend and leaned her head against Rem’s. “What if my injuries are too much to be healed by you?”

“Who says I can’t?”

“Well… then what if I needed to be revived?”

“I’ll search the entire continent to find a Phoenix Down.”

“And if you can’t?”

“I will.” Rem parted from Deuce and caressed her face. Thumbs smoothed her silky skin as she whispered, “I will always bring you back to life… just like how you brought me back to life with those three words.”

Deuce giggled. They went in for another tender kiss, the two disregarding the earlier request to redress. Blissful love showered upon the couple as Rem was eventually stripped down to her undergarments. There wasn't one moment where they looked away from each other, even as Deuce plopped back on the mattress and Rem hovered from above. They nuzzled their noses with bright smiles. 

“I love you, Rem." 

"I love you too, Deuce." 

It was safe to say that after that long and romantic evening, Deuce kept her promise with Rem. Not that she needed to keep it in the first place as Rem accompanied her to every single battle afterward... much to the dismay of Kurasame and Arecia. 


End file.
